Thinking Foundation - About

About the Thinking Foundation

Advisory Board

Yvette Jackson
Yvette Jackson, Ed.D. is internationally recognized for her work in assessing the learning potential of disenfranchised urban students. Her research is in literacy, gifted education and the cognitive mediation theory of Dr. Reuven Feuerstein. She has applied her research to develop an integrated process to motivate and elicit potential in underachievers. This research was the basis for her design of the New York City Gifted Programs Framework when she was the Director of Gifted Programs. As Executive Director of Instruction and Professional Development for the New York City Board of Education, she led the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Education Plan which optimizes the delivery of all core curriculum and support services in the Public Schools of New York City.

Dr. Jackson currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Urban Alliance, founded at The College Board and Teachers College, Columbia University. She works with school district administrators and teachers across the country to customize and deliver systemic approaches to literacy development through instructional practices that integrate culture, language and cognition to expand and accelerate student learning and achievement. She is a visiting lecturer at Harvard University, a member of ASCD’s Differentiated Instruction Cadre and a keynote presenter at national and international conferences.

Learn more about Dr. Jackson:

Read excerpts from Yvette Jackson's chapter Closing the Gap By Connecting Culture, Language, and Cognition in the book Student Successes With Thinking Maps.
Watch a video clip of Yvette Jackson in a Collegial Coaching session connecting culture, language and cognition
Visit the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education website

Estrella (Estee) López
Conspire to Inspire has been the lifelong mantra Estrella (Estee) López has espoused throughout her career. Assistant professor, school district administrator, Principal, BETAC Director, National and State consultant, professional developer, reviewer for publishers, classroom teacher, author and artist Estee Lopez has, over her career, promoted excellence and achievement on behalf of all students in particular English language learners. During her professional 38 year trajectory in education, Estee is known for her candid, outspoken advocacy for equity and excellence for all children of public schools, most especially English language learners.
Estee combines leadership with scholarship in every professional venue. She has supported quality bilingual and ESL programs, as well as general education to ensure cognitively challenging teaching and learning experiences. She has encouraged teachers and administrators to support these programs and processes through research, conference presentations, capacity building, and networking. Her leadership style is inclusive, collaborative and strategic. Her major area of expertise is the application cognitive research to educational practice to support struggling learners and English language learners
She has gained recognition by the New York State Board of Regents, as she co-chaired the ELA-ESL Standards Review Initiative. She has worked with the New York State Superintendents Council, New York State TESOL, various Board of Cooperative Education Service organizations, and higher education institutions. Her current work with the Thinking Foundation and the New York State Education Department has served to bridge language acquisition and cognition for ELLs at the state and national level as the state is preparing to implement the national Common Core Standards.

She has received numerous awards including the Life Time Achievement Award from The New York State TESOL and The New York State Association for Bilingual Education; however she claims no award can compare with the joy of knowing that in some small way students and teachers have achieved their potential because of her efforts. Estee Lopez is a native of both New York and Puerto Rico. She completed her undergraduate at Dowling College, postgraduate studies at C.W. Post and her doctoral studies at St. John Fisher College. Her dissertation topic that focuses on the Effects of Thinking Maps on academic language development of ELLs.

Publications:

Cognitive Bridge for Language and Literacy, NYS TESOL
Teaching Language Arts to ELL students: A resource guide for all teachers. Contributor to the New York State Education Department, Office for Bilingual Education statewide document:
Helping ELL Students Meet New York State Standards. Document for teachers in ESL and bilingual classrooms. Contributor to the New York State Education Department, Office for Bilingual Education Statewide Standards publications
Getting Reading for the NYSESLAT , Attanasio and Associates Publishing
Inappropriate NCLB policies for ELL students. NYS Assembly Hearing Testimony on

Awards:

Recognized by the Foundation of Women and Children of Westchester 1999 Women As Leaders Award
Aspira Award for Excellence, 1994 Outstanding Dedication and Excellence in Bilingual and ESL Education, 1994
Services of Educational Resources: SER of Westchester: Outstanding Educator Award 1996
State Association for Bilingual Education: SABE Conference Chairperson Award 1994
Congressional Proclamation by Congresswoman Nita Lowey, 1996
Westchester County Board of Legislatures: Proclamation Award , 2003
New York State TESOL Lifetime Achievement Award, 2009
Glady’s Correa Award, New York State Association for Bilingual Education, 2010
NYS Legislative Proclamation for Leadership and Outstanding Educator, 2010

Kimberly Williams, PhD.
Kimberly Williams, PhD is an independent educational consultant who also serves on the faculty at Plymouth State University and works for the Center for Teaching Excellence to improve teaching and learning at Cornell University. Her most recent books (published in 2014) include "Doing Research to Improve Teaching and Learning" (Routledge) and "Healthy Children, Healthy Minds" co-authored with Marcel Lebrun (Rowman Littelfield Publishers). She has written extensively on cognition, research, and evidence-based teaching and learning. She teaches graduate courses in these areas as well (at both PSU and Cornell). Her complete author page is available on the Amazon website.

Joyce Graham, Ph.D.
Dr. Joyce M. Graham is a nationally known expert in desgining and developing professional developmen for several educational publishers as well as numerous school districts. With over 30 years experinece working with a wide range of teachers and students from urban, Native American and suburban districts she has been responsible for planning, implementing and developing successful models of professional development. Dr. Graham has also worked extensively with several professional development groups includig the National Urban Allianc and the Innovative Learning Group conducting workshops in Thinking Maps. Dr. Graham has co-authored several books for classroom teachers and writes for several non-profit groups. She is the recpient of the Excellence in Education Award, the highest honor bestowed upon a Penn State College of Education alumnus, for significant contributions to the field of education.

Arthur L. Costa
Arthur L. Costa, Ed.D. is a Professor of Education, Emeritus from California State University, Sacramento, where he taught graduate courses to teachers and administrators in curriculum, supervision, and the improvement of instruction.

He edited the book, Developing Minds: A Resource Book for Teaching Thinking; is the author of The Enabling Behaviors, Teaching for Intelligent Behaviors and Supervision for Intelligent Teaching; and is co-author of Cognitive Coaching and Techniques for Teaching Thinking. He has also written numerous other articles and publications on supervision, teaching strategies and thinking skills.

Arthur L. Costa and Bena Kallick, define and describe 16 types of intelligent behavior in their four book series, Habits of Mind: A Developmental Series, published in 2000 by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development in Alexandria, VA. Habits of Mind aid students in school and adults in everyday life as they are challenged by problems, dilemmas, paradoxes, and enigmas for which the solutions are not immediately apparent. Drawing on the Habits of Mind means knowing how to behave intelligently when you don't know the answers. It means not only having information, but also knowing how to act on it. Go to the following websites for more information:
Habits of Mind website www.habits-of-mind.net
Australia Habits of Mind network website www.habitsofmind.org

Dr. Costa has made presentations and conducted workshops for educators throughout the United States and in Canada, Mexico, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the South Pacific. He taught in the Bellflower School District, worked as a curriculum consultant in the Los Angeles County Superintendent of School’s Office, and served as Director of Educational Programs for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for the Western States, and was Assistant Superintendent of the Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools office.

Gerald Lauber, Ed.D.
Dr. Gerald Lauber Senior Advisor to the Thinking Foundation and a principal in the Cognitive Process Corporation. Gerry was Senior Advisor to the President and Director of the NUA’s Teaching Financial Literacy Education initiative and brings to the Thinking Foundation a background that includes academic, technological and corporate experience. As a Senior Advisor to the Thinking Foundation, Dr. Lauber works on helping transform information into knowledge using the latest brain based visual tools that are supported by the foundation. Dr. Lauber serves as an advisor to Master Cards Senior Advisory group on financial literacy and was recently appointed to the Education Committee of JumpStart.
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Kathy Ernst
Kathy Ernst has served as co-founder of an alternative Pre-K-6 school, classroom teacher,developer and teacher of gifted programs, adjunct professor, mathematics coach and national consultant. She holds a MSEd in Educational Leadership from Bank Street College of Education. She has taught courses for teachers in curriculum and assessment, differentiation, mathematics instruction, and problem solving. She was one of the teacher developers of the Vermont Mathematics Portfolio Assessment Program, a statewide assessment program for students in grades 4, 8, and 12. Kathy also served as a consultant with the US DOE’s Teacher-to-Teacher initiative. The workshop she conducted for them in developing computational fluency continues to be offered to teachers nationwide as a digital course. For over thirty years she has served as a consultant providing support to schools and systems throughout the US to improve mathematics education. Her work with teachers focuses on using Thinking Maps to develop collaborative and explicit processes of coaching, supervision, and lesson study. Her practice also involves using Thinking Maps to facilitate the development of students’ metacognition in problem solving. Kathy is the co-author of the recently published text, Success from the Start: Your First Years Teaching Elementary Mathematics , National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (April 1, 2014).




		About the Thinking Foundation Advisory Board Yvette Jackson Yvette Jackson, Ed.D. is internationally recognized for her work in assessing the learning potential of disenfranchised urban students. Her research is in literacy, gifted education and the cognitive mediation theory of Dr. Reuven Feuerstein. She has applied her research to develop an integrated process to motivate and elicit potential in underachievers. This research was the basis for her design of the New York City Gifted Programs Framework when she was the Director of Gifted Programs. As Executive Director of Instruction and Professional Development for the New York City Board of Education, she led the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Education Plan which optimizes the delivery of all core curriculum and support services in the Public Schools of New York City. Dr. Jackson currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Urban Alliance, founded at The College Board and Teachers College, Columbia University. She works with school district administrators and teachers across the country to customize and deliver systemic approaches to literacy development through instructional practices that integrate culture, language and cognition to expand and accelerate student learning and achievement. She is a visiting lecturer at Harvard University, a member of ASCD’s Differentiated Instruction Cadre and a keynote presenter at national and international conferences. Learn more about Dr. Jackson: Read excerpts from Yvette Jackson's chapter Closing the Gap By Connecting Culture, Language, and Cognition in the book Student Successes With Thinking Maps. Watch a video clip of Yvette Jackson in a Collegial Coaching session connecting culture, language and cognition Visit the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education website Estrella (Estee) López Conspire to Inspire has been the lifelong mantra Estrella (Estee) López has espoused throughout her career. Assistant professor, school district administrator, Principal, BETAC Director, National and State consultant, professional developer, reviewer for publishers, classroom teacher, author and artist Estee Lopez has, over her career, promoted excellence and achievement on behalf of all students in particular English language learners. During her professional 38 year trajectory in education, Estee is known for her candid, outspoken advocacy for equity and excellence for all children of public schools, most especially English language learners. Estee combines leadership with scholarship in every professional venue. She has supported quality bilingual and ESL programs, as well as general education to ensure cognitively challenging teaching and learning experiences. She has encouraged teachers and administrators to support these programs and processes through research, conference presentations, capacity building, and networking. Her leadership style is inclusive, collaborative and strategic. Her major area of expertise is the application cognitive research to educational practice to support struggling learners and English language learners She has gained recognition by the New York State Board of Regents, as she co-chaired the ELA-ESL Standards Review Initiative. She has worked with the New York State Superintendents Council, New York State TESOL, various Board of Cooperative Education Service organizations, and higher education institutions. Her current work with the Thinking Foundation and the New York State Education Department has served to bridge language acquisition and cognition for ELLs at the state and national level as the state is preparing to implement the national Common Core Standards. She has received numerous awards including the Life Time Achievement Award from The New York State TESOL and The New York State Association for Bilingual Education; however she claims no award can compare with the joy of knowing that in some small way students and teachers have achieved their potential because of her efforts. Estee Lopez is a native of both New York and Puerto Rico. She completed her undergraduate at Dowling College, postgraduate studies at C.W. Post and her doctoral studies at St. John Fisher College. Her dissertation topic that focuses on the Effects of Thinking Maps on academic language development of ELLs. Publications: Cognitive Bridge for Language and Literacy, NYS TESOL Teaching Language Arts to ELL students: A resource guide for all teachers. Contributor to the New York State Education Department, Office for Bilingual Education statewide document: Helping ELL Students Meet New York State Standards. Document for teachers in ESL and bilingual classrooms. Contributor to the New York State Education Department, Office for Bilingual Education Statewide Standards publications Getting Reading for the NYSESLAT , Attanasio and Associates Publishing Inappropriate NCLB policies for ELL students. NYS Assembly Hearing Testimony on Awards: Recognized by the Foundation of Women and Children of Westchester 1999 Women As Leaders Award Aspira Award for Excellence, 1994 Outstanding Dedication and Excellence in Bilingual and ESL Education, 1994 Services of Educational Resources: SER of Westchester: Outstanding Educator Award 1996 State Association for Bilingual Education: SABE Conference Chairperson Award 1994 Congressional Proclamation by Congresswoman Nita Lowey, 1996 Westchester County Board of Legislatures: Proclamation Award , 2003 New York State TESOL Lifetime Achievement Award, 2009 Glady’s Correa Award, New York State Association for Bilingual Education, 2010 NYS Legislative Proclamation for Leadership and Outstanding Educator, 2010 Kimberly Williams, PhD. Kimberly Williams, PhD is an independent educational consultant who also serves on the faculty at Plymouth State University and works for the Center for Teaching Excellence to improve teaching and learning at Cornell University. Her most recent books (published in 2014) include "Doing Research to Improve Teaching and Learning" (Routledge) and "Healthy Children, Healthy Minds" co-authored with Marcel Lebrun (Rowman Littelfield Publishers). She has written extensively on cognition, research, and evidence-based teaching and learning. She teaches graduate courses in these areas as well (at both PSU and Cornell). Her complete author page is available on the Amazon website. Joyce Graham, Ph.D. Dr. Joyce M. Graham is a nationally known expert in desgining and developing professional developmen for several educational publishers as well as numerous school districts. With over 30 years experinece working with a wide range of teachers and students from urban, Native American and suburban districts she has been responsible for planning, implementing and developing successful models of professional development. Dr. Graham has also worked extensively with several professional development groups includig the National Urban Allianc and the Innovative Learning Group conducting workshops in Thinking Maps. Dr. Graham has co-authored several books for classroom teachers and writes for several non-profit groups. She is the recpient of the Excellence in Education Award, the highest honor bestowed upon a Penn State College of Education alumnus, for significant contributions to the field of education. Arthur L. Costa Arthur L. Costa, Ed.D. is a Professor of Education, Emeritus from California State University, Sacramento, where he taught graduate courses to teachers and administrators in curriculum, supervision, and the improvement of instruction. He edited the book, Developing Minds: A Resource Book for Teaching Thinking; is the author of The Enabling Behaviors, Teaching for Intelligent Behaviors and Supervision for Intelligent Teaching; and is co-author of Cognitive Coaching and Techniques for Teaching Thinking. He has also written numerous other articles and publications on supervision, teaching strategies and thinking skills. Arthur L. Costa and Bena Kallick, define and describe 16 types of intelligent behavior in their four book series, Habits of Mind: A Developmental Series, published in 2000 by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development in Alexandria, VA. Habits of Mind aid students in school and adults in everyday life as they are challenged by problems, dilemmas, paradoxes, and enigmas for which the solutions are not immediately apparent. Drawing on the Habits of Mind means knowing how to behave intelligently when you don't know the answers. It means not only having information, but also knowing how to act on it. Go to the following websites for more information: Habits of Mind website www.habits-of-mind.net Australia Habits of Mind network website www.habitsofmind.org Dr. Costa has made presentations and conducted workshops for educators throughout the United States and in Canada, Mexico, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the South Pacific. He taught in the Bellflower School District, worked as a curriculum consultant in the Los Angeles County Superintendent of School’s Office, and served as Director of Educational Programs for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for the Western States, and was Assistant Superintendent of the Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools office. Gerald Lauber, Ed.D. Dr. Gerald Lauber Senior Advisor to the Thinking Foundation and a principal in the Cognitive Process Corporation. Gerry was Senior Advisor to the President and Director of the NUA’s Teaching Financial Literacy Education initiative and brings to the Thinking Foundation a background that includes academic, technological and corporate experience. As a Senior Advisor to the Thinking Foundation, Dr. Lauber works on helping transform information into knowledge using the latest brain based visual tools that are supported by the foundation. Dr. Lauber serves as an advisor to Master Cards Senior Advisory group on financial literacy and was recently appointed to the Education Committee of JumpStart. read more Kathy Ernst Kathy Ernst has served as co-founder of an alternative Pre-K-6 school, classroom teacher,developer and teacher of gifted programs, adjunct professor, mathematics coach and national consultant. She holds a MSEd in Educational Leadership from Bank Street College of Education. She has taught courses for teachers in curriculum and assessment, differentiation, mathematics instruction, and problem solving. She was one of the teacher developers of the Vermont Mathematics Portfolio Assessment Program, a statewide assessment program for students in grades 4, 8, and 12. Kathy also served as a consultant with the US DOE’s Teacher-to-Teacher initiative. The workshop she conducted for them in developing computational fluency continues to be offered to teachers nationwide as a digital course. For over thirty years she has served as a consultant providing support to schools and systems throughout the US to improve mathematics education. Her work with teachers focuses on using Thinking Maps to develop collaborative and explicit processes of coaching, supervision, and lesson study. Her practice also involves using Thinking Maps to facilitate the development of students’ metacognition in problem solving. Kathy is the co-author of the recently published text, Success from the Start: Your First Years Teaching Elementary Mathematics , National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (April 1, 2014).